The Walking Dead season 8 has been defined by celebratory highs (see: the 100th episode) and crushing lows. And we’re not just referring to the drama on screen.
Though it’s fairly normal for a TV series to experience some fluctuation in its viewership as time wears on – particularly for a property like The Walking Dead that has been around for nigh on a decade – season 8 of AMC’s flagship has posted some of the lowest ratings in the show’s decorated history.
“The Lost and the Damned,” for instance, recorded the lowest ratings since season 1 at 2.9 among the key demographic (18-49), with a total of 6.8 million viewers. To its credit, The Walking Dead began to show signs of recovery, but the latest figures are similarly dire.
In fact, according to TV by the Numbers, episode 8×14, “Still Gotta Mean Something,” only mustered a 2.6 rating in the 18-49 demographic and a total viewership of 6.3 million. On paper, it’s a notable dip from the previous week (6.77 million viewers, 3.0 rating), though we should stress that April 1st was Easter Sunday.
Here’s a rundown of the road so far:
Episode 8×01: 11.44 million (5.0)
Episode 8×02: 8.92 million (4.0)
Episode 8×03: 8.52 million (3.8)
Episode 8×04: 8.69 million (3.9)
Episode 8×05: 7.85 million (3.4)
Episode 8×06: 8.3 million (3.6)
Episode 8×07: 7.47 million (3.3)
Episode 8×08: 7.9 million (3.4)
And continued for season 8B, with 8×14 representing the results for last Sunday’s “Still Gotta Mean Something.”
Episode 8×09: 8.3 million (3.6)
Episode 8×10: 6.8 million (2.9)
Episode 8×11: 6.6 million (2.8)
Episode 8×12: 6.66 million (2.83)
Episode 8×13: 6.774 million (3.0)
Episode 8×14: 6.295 million (2.6)
If history has taught us anything, it’s that The Walking Dead typically experiences a surge in viewers (and ratings!) as a season finale begins to loom. And sure enough, season 8 is fast approaching its endpoint, given “Wrath” has been penciled in for April 15th, a date it currently shares with Fear The Walking Dead‘s premiere.
Said to bring resolution and closure for Rick’s posse, Andrew Lincoln recently went on record to preview the “epic” spectacle that’s to come:
I would say this is a smorgasbord. I think you’ve got everything in this one. It’s quite an unusual structure, but it’s very emotional, I hope, because that’s what I felt [while filming]. It’s epic. The location we shot at was phenomenal and unusual. I hope that it’s going to look on screen as good as it felt when we were shooting there.
The Walking Dead season 8 reaches its long-anticipated crescendo with the extended “Wrath” on April 15th, and let’s hope that pent-up excitement is reflected in the subsequent ratings.